Local hairdresser's USA trip gets you more flair in your hair

IF THE experts have got it right – and of course they do – in 2014 we’re heading back to the ’80s as far as hair trends are concerned.

POP IT ON: Stunning handiwork by Kerrie DiMattia in the US. This year is for bold cuts and bright colours.

FOR years we have embraced the placid, the simple and the subtly gorgeous.

But if the experts have got it right - and of course they do - in 2014 we're heading back to the '80s as far as hair trends are concerned.

We're talking bright colours, bold cuts, bows, scrunchies - the whole kit and caboodle.

Hair stylist and owner of DiMattia Hairdressing Kerrie DiMattia has just returned to Grafton from the United States where she spent four days with the cream of the global hairdressing crop.

Mrs DiMattia was invited to attend the Joico Global Education Trend Training among experts from Europe, America, Canada and Asia.

"We had the Joico artistic directors Damien Carney and Sue Temberton who sat us down and showed us where fashion is going in 2014," she said.

After two decades of embracing the minimalist look, Mrs DiMattia said there was a return to the extravagant.

"Think the '80s where everything was in excess - jangle shoes, bows in your hair and as many bangles as you could possibly fit on your arms," she said.

"It's not about less is more - it's about more is more."

Mrs DiMattia said we were heading back to the era where "no one questions if it's too much".

"Hair cuts are ornate and colour is the accessory," she said.

Just whether Graftonians will be brave enough to rock the outrageous, only time will tell, but Mrs DiMattia said there were ways to tone down the wild while keeping in style.

"We adapt the styles - we look at a particular haircut and look at what complements the person's face and bring in these extra elements," she said.

"It's a bit like an Alexander McQueen dress on the runway - it's totally outrageous and no one will ever buy it, but the one in the shop that people love is a toned-down version."

For those who have taken on the balayage or ombre look, which has been all the rage the past couple of years, you're still totally on trend because it's not going anywhere.

"It's one of those things like foils or streaks - it's permanently integrated into the hair world," Mrs DiMattia said.

"It's a beautiful form of colouring and longevity of colour which suits people's budgets.

"It's here to stay."

Originally published as Local hairdresser's USA trip gets you more flair in your hair